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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

When you are a teenager and want to rebel one of the first things you can do to express yourself is is grab a box of colored hair dye and go to town.The ladies above may be covering their silver locks, but they choose to do it in a defiant and daring way.They defy the conventional expectations that come with aging and instead of fading into the spotlight they shine on as inspiration for people of all ages to remain self expressive, take risks and embrace life.

I think one of the reasons Debra and I get along so well is that we share a love for dressing up and playing with different costumes and styles. Dressing up is way to shift your attitude to transform yourself while having fun and enjoying life. You can create a magical experience by putting on a hat or a pair of earrings from a foreign destination. When I got to Debra's house she was taking a nap after a polarity session with one of her patients. With a little bit of inspiration, make up, and fun she transformed herself in a number of minutes.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Books have always been a big part of my life. My grandmother was a librarian and absolutely loved reading, especially mystery novels. She would read one or two a week. When I was a kid she'd bring me to the library and let me explore the shelves for hours, wandering through ancient villages and magical kingdoms. My grandma went to Columbia Library School and I always wanted to visit and see where she studied. Tomorrow Doris is taking me on a tour of the campus and we are going to audit a class. I'm so excited to imagine my grandma as a young grad student walking through the Columbia campus.

Here are some shots of Doris and Jenny and their books. They are two ladies who love books just as much as my grandma Bluma.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

A few weeks back Smilla took these wonderful pictures of the charming man above. She writes:

I met this nice guy yesterday, and we immediately had such an interesting talk about Cologne and the carneval, which is one of the most important things in Cologne. He invited me for a coffee spontaneously,unfortunately I did not have time.Sometimes you meet people, and they don't feellike strangers in a way; maybe sort of new but familiar at the same time.His glasses are from Biedermeier, 1823,still with the original lenses! They are made out of gold, each part with an own stamp and they were made in Antwerp( he looks a bit like Albert Einstein I think...)all the best, Smilla

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I stumbled upon some photos of Ruth Flower a.k.a DJ Mamy Rock while on the Rock the Silver blog. Ruth, a 69 year old DJ living in England is a great example of someone who doesn't let age restrict her from remaining vital and creative. Check out her story in her own words below!

"I have had a very lively youth, I used to go to balls all the time, I loved to dance, but then came the old age, pension, but above all boredom... I started looking for something more...One night, my grandson, of whom I’m very close to, celebrated his birthday in a nightclub in London. And he told me that I could join them. When I arrived, the bouncers didn’t let me go inside. It is true that I didn’t really match their usual clients (laughs)... I finely managed to entered… and I was dumbfound…there was such an atmosphere!!! It was so different from the parties I used to go when I was young. There was a real osmosis between the lights and the music, it really drove me!... It made me feel so much younger!

This night shattered my view of things but above all the way I saw my life...I had a lot of free time, I was on pension you know… I talked to my grandson about it, he thought I went mad. Then he introduced me to a friend of his, a young French director and producer. We got along from the very beginning and he, with the help of his team, offered to help me becoming a DJ, working on a track, building an image etc... It was really fun!! Now I think that I am ready to make everybody move their ass on the dancefloor (laughs).

Indeed, I’d rather sign a contract with a record company than to sign up for the nursing home."

Monday, February 15, 2010

This guy reminds me of a sea captain full of character. I love his sweater and hat. We didn't have long to talk because he was on his way to the movies, but it's fun to make up stories and imagine him sailing the high seas.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Here is some Valentine's style inspiration from the men of Advanced Style. Whether dressed all in red and pink or accented with a subtle red bow tie, take your fashion cues from the dapper dudes above and have a grand Valentine's Day! If you have any great Valentine's shots you'd like to share send them to Advancedstyleinfo@gmail.com.

Friday, February 12, 2010

For the start of Fashion Week, I thought I would post someone who has been wearing Brooks Brothers & J Press for over 40 years.I photographed William Zinsser in a Brooks Brothers Overcoat, Brooks Brothers oxford shirt, J Press scarf ,blazer and tie. He took his glove off to shake my hand. That's a true gentleman, it was frigid out. He asked what it was that I like about what he was wearing and I told him the classic timelessness of his look. He mentioned he has an oil painting of himself and the artist made the roll in the color very clear in the painting!Did some research: William Knowlton Zinsser (born October 7, 1922), a writer, editor, and teacher. His 18 books, which range in subject from music to baseball to American travel, include several widely read books about writing. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction , first published in 1976, has sold almost 1.5 million copies. He began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune, where he worked as a feature writer, drama editor, film critic, and editorial writer, and has been a longtime contributor to leading magazines. Throughout the 1970s, Zinsser taught writing at Yale where he was master of Branford College. Now teaches at The New School and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Many high school teachers have incorporated Zinsser's writing into their lesson plans. Some teachers even go as far as to tell their students to "Zinsser" their work (Zinsser used as a verb meaning to take the clutter out of their essays).What A Guy!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

No matter what Debra does, she does it with style. Color and texture are such important parts of her life from food to fashion. I took a small video of her on the way to the movies and she wrote a little piece about how she feels about "Dressing UP". Debra is going to start writing here once and a while beginning in the next few weeks!

"Goin' to the Movies"

So my thoughts are.... that no matter what you are about to do (wash the dishes) or where you are going (yoga class/the gym)"DRESS UP"! That can mean anything. But my first rule is whatever you put on (the piece of clothing, the particular color or an accessory) it MUST FEEL "RIGHT" for you. Check in with yourself and be honest..."is this what I want to feel like; is this what I want to present to the world as ME today?" If not, change, take something off, or add another layer or accessory. Don't THINK too much. Let your eyes and your body lead you and trust it.

TAKE all BLACK clothing and put them in the rear of your closet...use BLACK as an accent. It really works as an accent, it adds depth...also WHITE adds expansion!Most of all have fun and play.

Oh yes and when you go to the movies be sure to take with you some healthy snacks...some raw nuts and some dried fruit like dates, apricots and figs. Then there won't be the need to buy movie treats! Enjoy the day!With playful affection,Debra

Remember you can email Debra with any questions or comments to Debrathenutritionista@gmail.com.

Friday, February 5, 2010

On my trip back home to San Diego I met up with Lubi who you may remember from previous posts featuiring her fantastic style. I originallty met Lubi at the New Museum while she was visiting her daughter in New York and we have kept in touch ever since. Lubi infuses her life with art and fashion. As part of my gathering stories about "Going Silver" I asked Lubi to write a few words about her relationship to fashion and letting her hair go silver. This is what she had to say:

"Fashion often revolves around feeling “IN”, being safe and going along with the crowd. Well, not for me!. I was never fearful of being extraordinarily different. I was, as well, never ignored for my fashion style. For some reason, I was (I am) more considered different and somewhat mysterious than ignored. I might have been lost in my own fashion world. However, I was never unaware of what was being “IN” in the fashion industry. Looking through fashion magazines I always see something that might be barely visible to others. This is how I am able to create my own style in fashion. I was never behind on fashion, yet never quite “IN” fashion. Having said that, let’s talk about “ THE silver hair.”

At first, my hair started to develop pale, very blond streaks. These out of the blue pale stripes reminded me of platinum elegance! Nice! Very nice!!! But if you gazed at it thoroughly enough, my hair was getting gray. GRAY!!!!????. Well, some might recognize it as gray hair, age, genetics, stress, etc. I see it differently. I see it simply- SILVER. I see it as PLATINUM ELEGANCE!!!! To others it might represent a sign of age. To me it portrays a photograph of a lady brushed in silver glitter, kissed by California sun, ocean breeze and sea mist. To me, my silver hair is a MYSTERY of all mysteries.Martin Luther said: “The hair is the richest ornament of a woman”. My portrait is painted silver. For now, I like it. Someday, I might paint it differently. "Lubi